Discover Yoga on your Console

Have fun doing yoga in your own living room. Source: Visual hunt

Playstation, Nintendo, X-box… The giants of the gaming world have long invested in this niche sport. Zumba, pilates, fitness … We can now do everything in front of our TV screens. Yoga is certainly not the exception. So, forget Zelda, Super Mario and Just Dance for a moment.

Wii Fit U is the must-have game for any self-respecting woman wanting to take care of her figure with minimal effort (or simply to have clear conscience). And with Wii Fit U, as well as 77 exercises, there is also a yoga program.

No big change from Wii Fit Plus, which already existed on the classic Wii. Only 19 exercises have been added. In both cases, yoga is one of them.

It’s not that difficult!

Forget the classic yoga mat, instead you do it on the balance board. This high-tech accessory lets you analyse an incredible number of factors, including weight distribution and your center of gravity. This feature allows the virtual coach to determine if you’re executing the yoga pose correctly.

In terms of features, there are all the classics:

3D demo,

Burned calories tracker,

Earn credits to unlock new exercises,

Constructive criticism for you to progress.

If you choose to do yoga with this program, you will be able to carry out different poses:

The half moon pose,

The warrior pose,

The tree pose,

The hinge pose,

The half-boat pose,

Etc.

You can also practise breathing exercises, or discover the game program to improve your balance.

Are you a more of an X-Box or Playstation person? You can find similar games from both brands to practice yoga in front of your TV. Overall, the features are very similar. There are a who range of different video games dedicated to yoga. They all promote a fun approach to exercise.

Doing Yoga on the Wii: the Drawbacks

While the Wii allows you to learn yoga gradually, as well as other exercises (aerobics, fitness, not to mention the must-have mini games), you can still miss the basic principles of yoga.

Yoga is not the gym.

Yoga is not limited to just poses and breathing exercises. The goal of yoga is not to lose weight or burn calories. Of course, this form of exercise has so many physical benefits and help you relax. However, you will miss out on many other aspects of yoga.

Yoga is a philosophy of life, based on self-knowledge and living in harmony with one another. It is another way of understanding everyday life and learning to live in the moment. Yoga also helps you to let go.

Learning yoga allows you to:

Understand the relationship with yourself and others differently,

To know your body, take care of it, stretch it and test its limits,

Master your senses,

Learn how to concentrate and meditate.

So, even if the Wii helps you practice and discover poses, to really know the basics of yoga, don’t hesitate to join yoga classes wth a professional yoga instructor. You will notice the difference. To do yoga well, you need to be able feel and focus.

When you’re constantly looking at a screen to follow instructions and check what you’re supposed to be doing, it’s hard to do the pose properly.

Developing harmony between body and mind requires the assistance of a yoga teacher (a yoga class online, in London or across the country) who will teach you all the precepts of yogis.

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Sarah

A French/Spanish to English translator, Sarah is currently enjoying travelling around Europe with her work.